Crutch or like article



E. c. BE-E CROFT CRUTCH 'OR LIKE ARTICLE Filed June-"2'7 919 mvgm'on proj ects; inwardly; under r i the,-; tip of; the crutch,--as=-shown in Figs. 2' and. 6,-"=' and1s ar ranged in a convenient position to takeihe downward pressure ofi ,the, crutch upon the same. W'hen it is in"irfoperativ'e position," 'it is arranged on the side of the crutch yvithip the apron like casing at the bottom of the body member 1, the saidicasing extendin n around and very close to the outer edge a? thGltI'Ca-d."i i il'hflj i'w 1. Ei'

1T0 permit positioning of :the treadv either in-noperative or 1inoperativeapositiony the rodll-:i's -supported,-bot h for longitudinal movement' -fiand' also rotation-,wby inwardly directed walls.2 1- andg22,' which are desir-- ably integral withizthe member :1-.-- Aproject'ion-ori finger piece 24l=extendsl through a slo't in the member 1 and is secured to 'rod- 11. The slotrreferred to? has :"i portion125 extending longitudinally of: the rodn11 andof the body 1 member- =1",' aportion 26 -ezttending :from the portion 1 'Lisubstantially ho ri zontallynor :atjg'righbangles to 'zthe'jportion' 25, and 1 recesses 27 and 28 respectively intheiltop and bottom idf th'e' portion 26: and' atrtlie"lend-' thereof remote from' thej por ti-on i ljllei lengtlr 1 of: e the: portion 126 be the -slot 5's -'such as to permit i thegprojection Qkfiandthe ro'dg ll' to rotate throu lv anj angle: o'tsninety =derees aboii't the axis of said rod: lvhen l it ie tread isin flowered 1- =and r -2,{ theziproj ection is 'f'tlie re ess 27 being held'i against lateral =andupward movement'- relatively- 'to the body member band the crutch by the wallsjof {said re'cessz Although F'the' :npward thrust-Y of the tread might be applied to I the member 1 through the =projectio'nf24; I -prefert0use;a' supple mentary memb'er 30 for this 'purpose,-'th'e member 24servi ng only for the purpose of shifting the 1 position of: the tread" and as --:'sistin g inwretaining the same'in position.

when the projectionf2-l has passed into the recess 27 the projecting ends of the pin 30 engage the lower surface of thewwall 21.

A spring 32is connected at its upper ,end t'o' a cap 33 and at'its lower endto the memb er24, which, as shown, is in the form of'a screw 'passing through rod 11 and, seated in opposite walls thereof. "This springnot only exerts an upward pull upon the rod llwith' respect to the body meme b and/the 'crutch', {but'it also tends to turn-the tread and thesupporting rod'*11 about the' axis of the latter so as to mo've the. projection- 24;laterally; away; vfrpm the vei tical partflfiofthe hlbtin' the bodyiinemher and towards the recess 27. The spring thus counteracts any tendency of the said proj ectiori to' mhve'towards the vertical part of the slot and thereby resists accidental release of the tread from operative .positionrn-a'lhederision of the said spring draws the projection 24 firmly upwardly into the retaining recess-i27. -.To permit variationior adjustment 50f the torsional force iirthe. s'prin'ga32, the m 33 is mov ably 'mounted in theu'bodycniember' 1,-be

ing, as-shOwnQ-qprbVided with a portion B-h square 1 1n :horizoritab'section :which fits iwithin the upper walluof i the body member.- Tlie upper' e'nd of the cap projects beyond theportion'34iandrests upon the top of the member 1.-To .gvar the-torsion ofsthel springnthecap is-lifted:to remove the portion 34, thereof from the top wall of the body membenzl, the'gcapbeing then turned about? the axis) lot the 1 spring to impart the desired tehsioni'therew, whereupon by replacin the cap-iin 'operative*position upon theitopzof tliet miember -1',i thecap will be held 1 against rotation and the desired; -tor-' sion 1 retained imthe spring. Withthe construction shown, athef torsion of the spring can be 'conveni ehtly -:varied by quarter.

turns. 3 *By' makirig the a plug' portion 34: ot

the cap of lsuitabl'ei shape, the: spring may be iheld in positioh a'fter an adjustment of d any desiredfractiomof-aturn: v

To move the tm'a'd=from operative position to inoperative po sition, the projection 24* is' 1 depressed so that it will pass 1 into the portion -26 =of= the "slotin the body member 'l, andthen shifted laterally'in-the slot until -it greac'hes Q thwportion 25 of the slot. whereupon the-spring 32- will, retract. the rod 11 together with thetread 10 with respect to the crutch; The tread after the lateral "movement of the projectiou24 is arranged'wyith its straight side adjacentto and slightly to o'ne side of the I crutch. and when retracted-fit is arranged within the apron likecasinfg 20; The said casing prevents objectionable outward: movement of the tread and also prevents points or teeth 12 thereof from catching in clothing when the tread is in inoperative position. The upward movement of the tread, as shown, is limited by'engagement'of the projection 24 with the upperend wall of the slot '25. "To move the treadd'ownwardly into operative'fposition it is simply necessary, asflvillfbeevident, to press the p'rojection2 i downwardly, thento-move the same laterally=finto the portion "26 of the slot andito releasethe same, whereupon the; spring 32 will move the saidj projection 'nto the recess 27', the tread being 'the1ifre t'ainedin operative pos'ition. 1- 7 as case thetreadshould get-stuck to the iiis ' ing of :the crutch? --A's,= however,- therwalls of this. recess-i hold the. xproj ectiona ifrom movement toward the pprtiom 25 of'ithe :slot:

in body rmember i1,,;t11e danger. of --accidental release o'f the tread gtrom; operativeappsitiou is practically,iiobviatedmiAs soonrmszthe into the recess--27, no

downward ipull ,on the tread is released the spring 32- w-illdraw. the 5 projection? 24 back;

In .order :that: the anti-slip-pi bemade-ias com-pact andiot as small weight as =possible, i- I desirably; incline. the body; member 1,- and: the (rod 11 inn-'ardlytowards, thecr'u'tch at-the upper end-as. clearly; shown in i 2. :This rea rangement enables the. tread 105 .tozl-passl ieadilyi-rmstithe ferrnlei3- while ipermit-tingi the: iup-p'er end 56f i the ides vice to: be arranged close-to the cru-tchi ;".l=! s iWhile-Iihave shown the preferred term of the-'inventionait is ito. be iUTIdQISiZOOd) that-I aminotilim'ited tot-his preciseiform, iii-Dd that many -changes- -and i l modifications :5 may that made rinthe: structure shown iwith'onjt I dep ti ts ing from the spirit of my invention.

Whatfl' as new; and; desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. An article such as a crutch having a member provided with means adapted to secure a. firm hold on a. slippery surface, said member being movable relatively to the article into operative or inoperative position, means for retaining said member in position relatively to the article including a projection on said member, a second member having a slot in which said projection is movable. said slot having a portion extending longitudinally of the article, another portion extending from said longitudinal portion transversely of the article, and a spring tending to rot-ate said first-named memberso as to move said projection laterally in the last named portion of said slot away from the first named portion thereof.

2. An article such as a crutch having a member provided with means adapted to secure a firm hold on a slippery surface, said member being movable relatively to the article into operative or inoperative position, means for retaining said member in operative position relatively to the article including a spring tending to move said member upwardl longitudinally of the article, a projection on said member. and a. second member having a. slot in which, said projection is movable, said slothaving a portion extending longitudinally of the article, and another portion extending from said longitudinal port-ion transversely of the article and provided respectively above and below the same with retaining recesses, the walls of which prevent. rotation of the member.

3. An article such as a crutch having a member provided with means adapted to seg del icemayicu-re-atirm hold ion dsliPperX-fsuflace; said: member being movable: relatively; to; the: ar- 1 ticle -rinto operative i orinoperative position, means for retaining saidmemhen in positioni relatively to the article 2 including a spring; tending to rotatetheme'mbenaboht tits axis; andmeans for-av-aryingiithe torsion of, said with an i anti-slipping Kiev ice: co mprisingiam elongated me-mber'uinclinedi upwardly and;

inwardly towards the articleoand a tread" carried-by said-winemberna-ndithawing an tended; lower. sunface adapted-"rte isecu'rc. a holdon a slippery! sn'rfac'e,= said lhemben bee rmovable. itoicarry. nSEi-idtread zintoiiop erat-ive ora-inoperativen position; 1 saidmt-read being. monnte'dafm movement inolativcly l to the I article Hi0! permit lthe l inclination 201.; the; lower. surface .of the: tread withirespectto' the article, wherebythe tread iadaptet to make; substanti'wllyl-iflbjbmqoniaetlawith, the slippery. surfacei-rwhel'hi the-121M 1 5.51 181' on englevtoithe, iveiticaletl incli ationiot said elongated i ,memben ,pernntting they tread. to pass readily past the tip of the article. J ,1 I; 5-;An n icleu hn s-aa m tehu avi g a member provided with a tread adapted to secure a firm hold on a slippery surface, said member being movable relatively to the article into operative or inoperative position, means for retaining said member in operative position relatively to the article including a spring tending to move said member upward longitudinally of the article, a )roject-ion on said member, and a second member having a, slot in which said projection is movable, and through which it protrudes and in which it is adapted to be held.

6. An article such as a crutch having a member provided with a tread adapted to secure a firm hold on a slippery surface, said member being movable relatively to the article into operative or inoperative position, means for retaining said member in operative position relatively to the article, including a spring tending to move said member upward longitudinally of the article, a projection on said member, and a second member having a slot in which said projection is movable, said slo-thaving a portion extending longitudinally of the art cle, and another portion extending from said longitudinal port-ion transversely of the article.

7. An article such as a crutch having a member provided with a. tread adapted to secure a firm hold on aslippery surface, said member being movable relatively to the article into operative or inoperative position, means for retaining said member in operative position relatively to the article, including a spring tending to move said member upward longitudinally of the article, a, proiection on said member, and a second member having a slot in which said projec- 

